The training of athletes, namely baseball and softball players, to properly hit baseballs/softballs is frequently done. Typically, a batter will spend time within a “batting cage” receiving balls pitched by a commercial pitching machine. Alternatively, portable pitching machines are known in the prior art and are utilized by coaches to pitch balls to batters.
Any time one is playing a sport such as baseball or softball, there is a chance that a person in the field will be struck by a batted ball. Within games it is not infrequent for a pitcher to be stricken by a batted ball, often causing injury to the pitcher. This same problem arises when coaches are pitching balls to batters during batting practice, whether they are pitching using a manually fed machine, other pitching machines which requires manual operation, or throwing the balls by hand.
Various different types of pitching screens are well known in the prior art for protecting and/or shielding the pitcher of the ball. Typically such devices have an upward extending portion for protecting the pitcher's body with a cut-out that allows the ball to be thrown over the top portion of the screen. A general example of such a screen can be seen in U.S. Pat. No. 6,955,615.
Screening set up with regard to pitching machines typically have a hole cut within the screening material so as to let the ball be projected through the hole and to the batter. An example of such a hole is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,195,744. Theoretically, a ball could be hit by a batter back through the hole (13) and strike the pitching machine and/or pitching machine operator.
What is needed is a portable protection screen for use with a pitching machine that protects an operator of the machine standing behind the screen but allows for complete and full operation of the pitching machine.